'I told [them] a 15k salary increase': Employee and boss get into heated salary negotiation after boss demands five days a week in the office

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 8, 2023 2:00 PM EST

No one ever said that new office policies wouldn't be met with a little pushback, especially when it comes to in-person work. We all know that return-to-work policies should be delicately handled in a way that, at the very least, feels like a suitable compromise between the employer and the employee. Unfortunately, that compromise rarely happens; instead, we as employees often are expected to take these new strict policies in stride. Thankfully, every so often, someone finds an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade.

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  • This thread was posted to Reddit by u/DankChickyNuggs, who was asked what it would take to get him to agree to come into the office five days a week after working hybrid for quite some time. OP decided to use this opportunity to reopen the discussion regarding his salary. Essentially, he asked for a $15K raise in order to get him to accept the new in-person work policies. His boss ended up coming back to him with a $10K offer, which OP was not willing to accept. To make matters worse for everyone involved, none of these discussions have been committed to writing, which got folks in the comments aggravated. At the end of the day, though, OP seems confident that he is needed and that this back-and-forth can only end up working in his favor in the end

    Keep scrolling below for the full story and the best reactions. For more content like this, here is a story about a company man who discovered quiet quitting after 11 years on the job.

  • 01
    Askes for a 15k raise to come back into the office.......buuut I was hired on with a hybrid schedule, three days in the office, 2 remote. This worked with my wife's and childs schedule. A few months ago I was ask what it would take to come back to the office 5 days a week and I told some a 15k salary increase. Months went by without an update and I thought they just forgot, until last week.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 02
    My boss called me into the office and said, they'd be able to give me 10k, not the 15k. Since it was lower than I asked for, I said at the moment I can only come in for four days a week. He asked how soon until I can make it five and I didn't confirm on anything.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 03
    AITA for not coming back in for five days because they gave me less than I asked for? BTW nothing is in writing, this was all done taking to my boss one on one.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 04
    win_awards 17 hr. ago Until it's in writing you don't even have the 10. 5.0k Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 05
    DankChicky Nuggs OP 17 hr. ago It's already on my paycheck, I got it for sure. 1.9k Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 06
    PCouture 17 hr. ago Yes but we're the terms? Your boss seems already to project you're returning full time, you may want to document you never agreed to it. 1.2k Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 07
    AtomicSamuraiCy borg • 17 hr. ago This. Boss is already pushing for "when". Op you never agreed to 5 days in for 10k. They came back with 10k so you countered with 4. 823 Reply
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 08
    MurderMits 17 hr. ago I go home I mean this is what will happen. Year end comes and you ask for your yearly raise, they will go lol no we gave you a raise we believe covers your next few years well. 985 Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 09
    DankChicky Nuggs OP. 17 hr. ago I was worried about that as well, everyone typically gets an annual 3-4% raise. Mine's coming up next month, so we'll see. 483 Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 10
    little-birdbrain-72. 16 hr. ago NTA. It's called a "negotiation." They countered, you countered, an agreement was struck. How does that make you an _?? 225 Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 11
    DankChicky Nuggs OP. 15 hr. ago It's more of a guilt trip they're trying to get me to commit with.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 12
    ImMoray 17 hr. ago I would have asked for more. How much of that 10k will you actually get in pocket after fuel, wear, and tear on your car and child care? Does an extra 10k even cover the extra time it takes to get to work for those extra days across a year? 228 Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 13
    Edujdom 15 hr. ago . "how soon until you can make it 5 days?" "As soon as those extra 5k come my way" 180 Reply Share
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 14
    Maybe_Factor · 16 hr. ago Honestly, for $10k more pay, I wouldn't even give them an extra day in the office. Sure, it covers the extra expenses, and more, but being forced to go to a specific location for a job I can do perfectly well from home is SO demoralising. To put it into perspective, an extra $10k/year is roughly $192 extra per week, before taxes. This whole RTO push reeks of desperation to maintain control over their worker drones, and frankly, any employer pushing it without a very goo
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 15
    loveinvein 16 hr. ago $ that ... RTO is a big scam, but at least you got a raise for some of it.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 16
    DankChickyNuggs OP. 16 hr. ago The only thing I can't do from home is grab the mail which my department doesn't get every day. Twice a week most.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 17
    CanadaDoug 14 hr. ago 15 was the price 3 months ago. at 7% inflation, it's gone up
    via u/DankChickyNuggs
  • 18
    Otherwise_Guitar6542. 17 hr. ago This needs to be in writing, send a confirmation email and see what happens.
    via u/DankChickyNuggs

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workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace job work Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit company toxic-work-environment
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